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CCM provides students a grand tour of Italy

BY TAMARA CUROVICContributor

Since 2011, County College of Morris provided its students with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. During next year’s Spring Break students will have an opportunity to take a 10 day grand tour of Italy, starting in Venice and ending in Rome.

“I decided what I wanted to do was to have trips to kind of expose students from this school and from anywhere else too, to Europe,” said Craig Pilant, a history professor at CCM. “I wanted them to see what there is outside of New Jersey.”

Pilant stressed the importance of travel and a sense of worldliness that comes with the experience of travel. This trip is not only available for CCM students, but also for others who are interested in partaking in the trip.

“We open it to faculty, staff, administration, students, of course, families and friends,” Pilant said. “So, as long as you have some kind of association with the school, and you have somebody who is willing to basically vouch for you, you can come on the trip.”

All throughout Europe people are speaking varied forms of English, so tour guides and translators will also be traveling with the participants of the spring break trip. They will be there as a resource to help when necessary, helping tourists feel more comfortable.

The all-inclusive price of the trip, estimated to be $3,700, remains roughly the same as last year. The price could change depending on the itinerary planned. The price includes coverage of transportation, breakfast, dinner, and an insurance policy in case the trip is canceled.

These tours provide a program where everyone shares the same experience, hopefully one filled with new memories.

“I think it’s more for the experience, the cultural experience more than anything,” said Mirna Rosende, a current Spanish professor at CCM. Having gone on past trips before, she stressed the importance of taking advantage of this opportunity given its affordability.

The next information session regarding the next tour will be held Wednesday, April 30 at 11 a.m. in DH-158.

“I think we should take the opportunity to study abroad and study in different places,” said Alyssa Valero, a current CCM student. “We’re young. We need to travel.”